From a unique spin on farm tours to a Cape getaway

Share via e-mail

Meet alpacas and angora rabbits, watch spinning demonstrations, and see llamas navigate an obstacle course during Vermont’s annual Farm to Yarn Tour, May 18-19. This free family event features farm tours and a chance to learn about fiber-producing animals, meet local knitters, spinners, and farmers, and purchase handcrafted fiber products. About a dozen farms throughout the Northeast Kingdom, located near the Canadian border and Jay Peak Resort, take part in the event; several will offer fiber arts workshops. Wear appropriate footwear and clothing, and leave your dog at home. 800-884-8001, www.travelthekingdom.com

SPRING FOR A GALS’ CAPE GETAWAY

Escape for a weekend with your girlfriends before the kids get out of school and summer activities start up. This special Cape Cod Girls Weekend, May 17-19, takes place at the oceanfront Red Jacket Beach Resort in South Yarmouth. Kick back and catch up with your friends, or enjoy a comedy show by Kelly McFarland, be the lead singer in a live karaoke band, do beach yoga, or take self-defense and Zumba classes. Price: $350, based on double occupancy, includes activities, entertainment, accommodations, most meals, and a New England clambake, but bring a bit extra to cover spa treatments, golf lessons, and psychic readings. 800-227-3263, www.capecodgirlsweekend.com

Stay in one of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) historic backcountry huts this June to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the club’s hut-to-hut network, the oldest in the country. The eight off-the-grid lodges are modeled after huts in the European Alps and spaced about a day apart, by foot, along a

56-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Book by May 15 and save 30 percent off stays between June 2 and 28; valid Sunday through Friday nights. Rate: $82.60 per night, based on a minimum three-night stay, for non-AMC members, includes bunkroom accommodations, two home-cooked meals daily, naturalist programs, and a copy of an AMC huts planning guide (mention HUTS125). 603-466-2727, www.outdoors.org/summerdeals

INDULGE AT WHISTLER’S NEW CHOCOLATE BAR

Get The Weekender in your inbox:

The Globe's top picks for what to see and do each weekend, in Boston and beyond.

What better way to recover from a day on the ski slopes, the hiking trails, or the golf course than with chocolate? The Fairmont Château Whistler in Whistler, British Columbia, has opened The Mallard Chocolate Bar in its main lounge, where you can sample Venezuelan dark chocolate, Ghanian vanilla milk chocolate, Saint Dominique chili chocolate, and other cocoa-based treats from around the world. Watch your server extract your choices from large chunks of chocolate. Order a 3.5-ounce serving or a flight of three or six different offerings. Then sink into a plush chair and listen to live music while experiencing chocolate nirvana. The menu includes suggested wine, port, or cognac pairings as an added touch. 604-938-8000, www.fairmontcom/whistler

ARLINGTON COMPANY’S BIKE TOUR NAMED TOP TRIP

Pick up a copy of National Geographic Traveler’s May issue and you’ll discover that a France bike tour offered by Arlington-based Ciclismo Classico has been named one of the magazine’s top 50 Tours of a Lifetime. Ciclismo Classico’s Bike Across France explores the Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees, and Languedoc-Roussillion regions of southwest France. Here, you will see lush scenery, stone villages, ancient art, and prehistoric sites, and enjoy excellent wines and hearty provincial cuisine. The 10-day tours, Aug. 17-26 and Oct. 8-17, run $5,395 per person, based on double occupancy, and include accommodations, most meals, van support, and guides. Total mileage: 313, averaging 39 miles a day.
800-866-7314, www.ciclismoclassico.com

LIGHTWEIGHT WARMTH FOR ON THE GO

Canada Goose, known for its burly winter layers, now makes the HyBridge Lite Hoody that is perfect for travelers. It offers a slim, stylish cut, yet its 800-fill Hutterite white goose down adds a comfortable insulating layer to keep you toasty whether you’re on an air-conditioned plane, out for an evening stroll, or on a breezy boat ride. Best of all, the jacket weighs just 8 ounces and packs down smaller than a one-pound bag of coffee. It also has plenty of usable pockets, and breathable side panels. $538. 888-668-0625, www.canada-goose.com

When your kids get bored with beach balls and noodles, keep them entertained with the new waterproof nabi Look HD. This simple lightweight camera comes in a super-durable housing that not only keeps out water, but also protects the device from falls up to 7 feet, tosses and tugs-of-war, and exposure to mud and sticky foods. We’ve used it while splashing around a hotel pool, exploring tidal pools on a sandy beach, and searching for critters in mucky fields. The camera has a 175-degree wide-angle lens, and shoots 8-megapixel still images and 1080-pixel high-definition video. It comes with several mounts and a remote control, and even has a macro setting. $169.99. www.nabitablet.com

BostonGlobe.com complimentary digital access has been provided to you, without a subscription, for free starting today and ending in 14 days. After the free trial period, your free BostonGlobe.com digital access will stop immediately unless you sign up for BostonGlobe.com digital subscription. Current print and digital subscribers are not eligible for the free trial.

Thanks & Welcome to Globe.com

You now have unlimited access for the next two weeks.

BostonGlobe.com complimentary digital access has been provided to you, without a subscription, for free starting today and ending in 14 days. After the free trial period, your free BostonGlobe.com digital access will stop immediately unless you sign up for BostonGlobe.com digital subscription. Current print and digital subscribers are not eligible for the free trial.